The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Disproportionate Impact In Our Region
Chelsea Cheung
4/25/2022
Some Populations Disproportionaly Impacted By Disasters
- Low-Income Individuals and Families
- People of Color
- Older Adults
- People with Disabilities
- Those with Limited English Proficiency
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
- Measures the ability to respond to and recover from disasters.
- Provides an index between 0 and 1.
- An SVI of 1 is considered highly vulnerable.
- Areas with high SVI have higher levels of loss caused by disasters.

SVI and COVID-19 In Harris County
Variables That Make Up SVI
- Below Poverty Level
- Unemployed
No High School Diploma
- Aged 65 or Older
- Aged 17 or Younger
Income
- Older Than Age 5 with a Disability
- Single-Parent Households
- Minority
- Speak English “Less Than Well”
- Multi-Unit Structures
- Mobile Homes
- Crowding
- No Vehicles
- Group Quarters
U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey
- Austin
- Brazoria
- Chambers
- Fort Bend
- Galveston
- Harris
- Liberty
- Montgomery
- Waller
- Financial Impacts - loss of employment income since March 13, 2020
- Food Insufficiency - often not enough to eat in the last 7 days
- Housing Insecurity - no confidence in ability to pay next month’s rent or mortgage on time
- Mental Health Impacts - feeling nervous, anxious or on edge nearly every day the past week
Financial Impacts: Someone in household has experienced a loss of employment income since March 13, 2020 by demographics.


Food Insufficiency: Often not enough to eat in the lat 7 days by demographics.


Housing Insecurity: No confidence in the ability to pay next month’s mortgage or rent by demographics.


Mental Health Impacts: Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge nearly every day for the last 7 days by demographics.


Has COVID-19 Had A Disproportionate Impact In Our Region?
- Given the limited scope - somewhat
- Of the two SVI characteristics looked at individuals with less education and lower income had disproportionate experiences with:
- Employment income loss
- Food Insufficiency
- Housing Insecurity
- Feelings of Anxiousness
- High SVI areas tend to have higher rates of COVID-19 deaths